In a world where advanced knowledge is widespread and low-cost labor is readily available, U.S. advantages in the marketplace and in science and technology have begun to erode. A comprehensive and coordinated federal effort is urgently needed to bolster U.S. competitiveness and pre-eminence in these areas. This congressionally requested report by a pre-eminent committee makes four recommendations ......

This Note, a dissertation for a Ph.D. in policy analysis from the RAND Graduate School, empirically examines the relative merits of the demographic and industrial restructuring hypotheses that have been advanced to explain rising individual earnings disparity over the past two decades. The research shows that (1) job quality has increased during the past two decades, and (2) almost the entire rise......

In the face of so many daunting near-term challenges, U.S. government and industry are letting the crucial strategic issues of U.S. competitiveness slip below the surface. Five years ago, the National Academies prepared Rising Above the Gathering Storm, a book that cautioned: "Without a renewed effort to bolster the foundations of our competitiveness, we can expect to lose our privileged position.......

Patient harm arising not from a patient's underlying condition but from medical errors that occur during patient care is a leading cause of disability and death: Approximately 10 percent of hospitalized patients experience a medical error while receiving care, and such errors are estimated to result in at least 44,000 deaths and $17 billion annually in direct health care costs, disability, and pro......

Active investment in China, finding more market opportunities in China, and strengthening the cooperative relationship with China have so far been successful paths for Korean companies and the government to take in response to China’s new economic might. It is uncertain whether Korea can maintain its market position in both Chinese and world markets in the future as China becomes more compet......